Certified divers
Derawan dive sites
Big Fish Country, Turtle Traffic, the Blue Light Cave and Channel Maratua: which are drifts, which are walls, which suit new divers.
Activities · Derawan Islands
Things to do in the Derawan Islands
Diving, snorkelling and close-range encounters with manta rays, green turtles, stingless jellyfish and whale sharks, across 13 destinations in Berau.
- Destinations
- 13
- Activity guides
- 4
- Best season
- Apr – Nov
- Meeting point, Berau
- BEJ
Four activity guides
Decide what to do in the water first
Planning a first trip? Read them in this order: dive sites, snorkelling spots, then the two wildlife encounters most people travel here for.
Where to go
Which location for which activity
Our trips cover 13 destinations; these are the main ones. Match an animal or an experience to a place.
| Location | Main activity | Dive certificate needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Talisayan | Swimming beside whale sharks at the fishing platforms | No, snorkelling encounter |
| Sangalaki | Manta ray snorkelling and diving | No to snorkel, yes to dive |
| Kakaban | Stingless jellyfish lake snorkelling | No |
| Maratua | Wall and channel diving, reef snorkelling | Yes for the channel dives |
| Manta Point | Manta ray watching in shallow water | No |
| Goa Halo Tabung | Sheltered cave pool swim | No |
| Laguna Kehe Daing | Hidden lagoon reached through a narrow rock gap | No |
| Pasir Gusung Sanggalau | Sandbar stop, shallow snorkelling and photography | No |
| Labuan Cermin | Mirror lake: a freshwater layer over saltwater | No |
Talisayan, Manimbora and Labuan Cermin are the day-3 run of the 4D3N trip; Maratua, Kakaban and Sangalaki are day 2.
When to go
The best season is April to November
December to March is the wetter period: the archipelago is rougher, and the open-sea crossings between Derawan, Sangalaki, Kakaban, Maratua and the Talisayan coast become less predictable, though open-trip departures are published in every month. Every activity depends on a boat transfer, so sea state matters more than rainfall.
How to get to Derawan Derawan via Berau- Jan Rough Reduced
- Feb Rough Reduced
- Mar Variable Mixed
- Apr Calm 20 m+
- May Calm 20 m+
- Jun Calm 20 m+
- Jul Calm 20 m+
- Aug Calm 20 m+
- Sep Calm 20 m+
- Oct Calm 20 m+
- Nov Variable 20 m+
- Dec Rough Reduced
In season Crossings weather-dependent Sea state · visibility
Snorkel or dive
Snorkelling or diving: which suits your group?
Jellyfish, mantas, whale sharks and green turtles are all regularly seen by snorkellers, so mixed groups travel together without splitting the itinerary.
| Question | Snorkelling | Scuba diving |
|---|---|---|
| Certification required | None | Open Water or above |
| Typical depth | Surface to about 5 m | 5 – 30 m recreational range |
| Jellyfish lake at Kakaban | Yes, the standard way to see it | Not applicable in the lake |
| Manta rays at Sangalaki | Frequently seen from the surface | Yes, at the cleaning and feeding areas |
| Whale sharks at Talisayan | Yes, the standard way to see them | Not required |
| Maratua walls and channel | Limited | Yes, the main reason divers come |
Our trips are snorkel-based; scuba diving is not included. They include a snorkel kit (mask, snorkel, life jacket). Fins are not included, and fins are not allowed in the jellyfish lake.
Trip costs
What a Derawan trip costs
Activities are sold inside a trip, not as separate tickets. On a private trip the cost per person falls as the group grows. Published Indonesia Juara rates, nett.
Flights to Berau (BEJ) are not included. Rates as published on indonesiajuara.asia.
Where you sleep
How activities decide where you sleep
On a three- or four-day trip, the island you stay on sets how early you can be in the water. Derawan puts the house reef outside your door; Maratua puts you closer to its walls and channel.
Answers
Derawan activity questions
Diving the sites around Maratua, snorkelling the stingless jellyfish lake at Kakaban, meeting manta rays at Sangalaki and Manta Point, and swimming with whale sharks at Talisayan. Green turtles turn up almost incidentally on ordinary reef swims.
Keep exploring
Explore the other guides
Plan your activities
Tell us what you want to see in the water
Send your dates and group size, and we reply with the Private Trip (3D2N or 4D3N) or the Open Trip (4D3N) that fits. Our trips are snorkel-based; scuba diving is not included.